Africa also has cowboys – Author

I’m the tenth child of my mother’s thirteen children and the first literate person of my father’s thirty five children. Growing up with a lot of affluence and wealth, I never knew lack of money. Anytime we didn’t have physical cash we would sell one of his cows for our pocket money. In that time, […]

I’m the tenth child of my mother’s thirteen children and the first literate person of my father’s thirty five children.
Growing up with a lot of affluence and wealth, I never knew lack of money. Anytime we didn’t have physical cash we would sell one of his cows for our pocket money. In that time, my belief was that education was for the jobless and destitute. But for those who had means, it was unnecessary. It was therefore a tug of war before I got myself educated.
How did you start writing?
When I was younger, I used to think that writers are supernatural human beings. This changed after I read Cyprian Ekwensi’s ‘The Burning Grass’ based on Fulani herdsmen in Northern Nigeria.
But I didn’t feel it portrayed the interesting attributes of the Fulani culture. That’s how I started thinking about writing a book to fulfill that. May, 2004, was when I eventually picked up my pen to begin telling the story.
What informed the choice of the title?
I think the title provokes the picture of an African Fulani cattle herdsman. With the Fulani being the largest cattle herders in the world I couldn’t think of a better title to depict their mode of life. However, I also tried to tell the world that we too, in Africa, have our own cowboys who are almost similar to those of Texas in America.
Many write one book and that is where it ends. Will this be the case for you?
Well, almost everybody can pick up a pen and write a book. But the question here is how worthy is the book? If an author presents a good and reasonable story to the audience they will definitely accept it and the book will live forever and be in continuous demand. This could encourage the author to write more books.
Also writing for money could ‘kill’ an author because if it doesn’t come, desperation and frustration may set in.
In my case, I have already authored my second novel entitled ‘Parallel Actions’, it is already published and undergoing critiques and proof reading after which I will present it to the Nigerian Navy for review and approval for release.
What are the challenges you faced in publishing the book?
It was difficult getting publishers in Nigeria. I never met any serious minded publisher. A lot of them took huge sums from me but abandoned my script. I eventually found Author House online who published it.
But now I am facing bigger challenges marketing it because it isn’t yet available in Nigeria due to production and shipping costs. This has also hindered its launch and supply to the Navy which has made it a set book.
With publishers like Bookcraft and Cassava Republic who are publishing for the likes of Wole Soyinka, Helon Habila, Bishop Mathew Kukah and even international authors, how is it you never met a serious minded publisher?
I knew definitely there are professional and honest publishers in Nigeria but I was not lucky to have met anyone of them. Rather, I kept falling into the traps of some fraudulent and unserious publishers. Right now I am searching for the good ones to publish my third novel entitled ‘Serving For Survival’.
What was the motivation to write the book?
Many of my friends from other parts of the country have asked me this question: “Is it true that if a Fulani wants to get married, he must be flogged?”
The story entails the norm of the Fulani flogging competition known as ‘Soro’, and the processes involved.
In the course of researching for the book, I never came across any work on ‘Soro’ which is why I came up with ‘African Cowboy’ to satisfy people’s curiosity about these wonderful cultures of Fulani.
Another reason was to render my contribution to nation building and encourage my fellow ‘cowboys’ to strive to be educated. It is more convincing when they read stories they can easily relate to.
Why did you pick the themes you have treated?
The story of the African cowboy is a true adventure. It is not my story but a situation which I saw I happen and consider worth sharing. The story may also help readers understand the origin of Boko Haram and the mentality behind the concept.
The issue has been a great challenge among the masses in Northern Nigeria; and the elites seem to have been mute over it. While their children study abroad, the masses wallow in poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.
They encouraged the masses to become beggers and shamelessly defend the begging to be part of their culture. While their children are schooling abroad the masses’ children are roaming all over the street begging for food in the name of Almajiri. If anyone criticizes this embarrassing culture of begging in the North, some of the elites will come out with full force to challenge you that you are fighting against Islam. Meanwhile their children are not participating in the begging, and rather they sent all of their children abroad for school.
You can see now that the muzzy idea of Boko Haram has matured and become a cancer-disease, disturbing even the elite’s peace of mind. There is a need for those who are privileged to be educated to enlighten others, help them to acquire knowledge so that we can create enabling environment for peaceful coexistence.
You have talked about illiteracy and the power of education. Could you speak more against the backdrop of the Nigerian situation?
Illiteracy begets ignorance, which confines life, limits thoughts and chances of success. Many illiterates are almost 100% dependent which makes them easy to manipulate.
Illiteracy contributes negatively to the Nigerian security situation with redundant youths being readily available tools.
If they were educated they would question the baits presented to lure them into certain activities.
You have used sentences like, “Sun handed over duty to the moon…” How much military influence did your work have?
(Laughter) None at all. This is the beauty of literature.  I am not sure if there is anything military in the book.
How much impact do you expect this book to have in Nigeria’s education system?
It will impact any society that values education. It will motivate teenagers to emulate Ribado and Halimah who fought against all odds to be educated.
It will also help young adults who tend to drop out of school for some lousy reasons have a rethink. I still remember one of my editors described the book as the second Things Fall Apart. I thought he was flattering me at that time until when the book won Readers Favorite Award in the USA, and the four out of the five people who reviewed the book rated it a five star novel.
It will greatly impact the Nigerian education system, especially in the North.
It could also be used to facilitate teaching in the new system of Almajiri education introduced by the Federal Government.
What audience did you target with the book?
Teenagers and young adults, although it could benefit adults, who can learn from the repercussion of Bappa’s mistakes for being prejudiced. Segregation occurs in many families where fathers tend to favor some of their children above the rest, not knowing that the favored, might not live up to expectations. But the underestimated child might be the blessed one. The story will have more impact on teenagers as the protagonists of the story are merely teenagers.
How easy was it for you to let your characters live?
Very easy. If you are writing with authenticity your characters must live to tell the story, because it is the life of the characters that keeps your story alive. Many people write without a story to tell, when there is no authenticity the characters should either die or they live a redundant life without any role for them to play.
In order to let your characters live and hold your audience, you must assign them specific roles. 
Ribado received a scholarship which afforded him an education. Chevron gives scholarship only to science courses and a few Arts/Social Science course like Law, Accounting Mass Communication/Journalism and Business Administration/Economics. What is your take on the fact that students studying courses like French don’t get to benefit?
I don’t know what policies guide their decisions. But I think it improper. Everybody is important when it comes to nation building. Citizens ought to enjoy tranquility without any segregation among them. Chevron scholarships should benefit all faculties without special considerations for the sciences. After all are there no employees of theirs who majored in other fields and work with those qualifications?
You have also portrayed an affluent end of Ribado and Halima. Could this be described as misleading?
Almighty God is not a cheat. If you pursue a dream with seriousness and sincerity nothing will stop you from achieving the dream. Therefore, the affluence of Ribado and his young sister was nothing but the reward of their struggles for their dream. This, in fact, will teach teenagers the importance of perseverance and the good reward for those who struggle for good deed.